A specialized shipping office, ''Delivery Works''.

I enter through the sign-bearing automatic doors and am greeted by the smiling face of Yoshie-san, who sits at the reception desk.

Yoshie: ''Welcome. Oh, Aoba-chan. Hello!''

Aoba: ''Thanks, as usual.''

I bow slightly and put the paper bag on the counter.

A small dog with dangling, glossy fur sits proudly on the counter and closely watches mu movements.

It's the sign dog of this shop, Yoshie-san's Allmate, Clara.

Aoba: ''I'd like to send this, please.''

Yoshie: ''Yes, yes. I'll take care of it.''

With experienced hands, Yoshie-san checks the address and pushes a nearby button.

A box next to the counter opens and she throws the paper bag inside.

The courier is a shipping service that sends packages immediately to anywhere in the Old Resident District.

Even though we're on a small island, no one could possibly walk the same distance within a day.

That's why in this town, where automobiles and such are inconvenient, it's very useful.

...Now then. With this, my work today is finished.

Aoba: ''Well then, excuse me.''

Yoshie: ''Aoba-chan, are you going back to the shop after this?''

Aoba: ''No, I'm going home for today. The manager is closing the shop early, so he said I can go home once I'm done with this.''

Yoshie: ''Oh!Is that so! Isn't that nice? Doesn't the last episode of ''If it's Dan'' air today? you can watch it real-time!''

Aoba: '' Dan...? What's that?''

Yoshie: ''No way! Didn't I just tell you the other day!?''

Aoba: ''Ah, did you... Uh... What was it again?''

Yoshie: ''It's a drama, a dra-ma! ''Goodbye With a Cheek Dance''! Today it's finally decided who will be the partner!''

Yoshie: ''I'm definitely thinking that Kaiser Matsuoka would be perfect! That fresh smile is absolutely beautiful, I just can't get enough!''

Aoba: ''Right...''

Yoshie-san wraps her hair around her finger and looks absent-minded with eyes like a girl in love.

Well... She isn't really a bad person.

Aoba: ''Well, I'll be taking my...''

Yoshie: ''Speaking of which Aoba-chan, have you heard? You know, that story, that story. I think you may not know!''

Yoshie-san seems to be quite serious and draws her eyebrows together while beckoning.

...She's not a bad person...

I give up and bring my face closer to hers.

There are no other people in the shop, but for some reason Yoshie-san starts to speak in a whispering voice.

Yoshie: ''You know, Hyougadani in the North? That dangerous district.''

Yoshie: ''It was never a good place from the start, but recently I've heard dangerous rumors.''

Aoba: ''Yeah?''

Yoshie: ''There seems to be a team whose leader is a super diabolical condemned criminal!''

Aoba: ''Ah. Scratch, was it? Some dangerous gang seems to be around that area a lot now.''

Yoshie: ''Yes, yes, the team seems to be completely made of prisoners.''

Yoshie: ''If I remember right, even before that there were stories about people getting kidnapped, or buildings being destroyed, right?''

Yoshie: ''That's so scary! You can't even walk alone peacefully at night.''

Yoshie: ''And the police aren't reliable at all... Not to mention they don't know what to do for us. Really, it's a hard world we live in.''

It's true that the police of the Old Resident District hardly do their jobs.

They don't care if crimes are committed. For example, when passing a policeman, if you get on his nerves even just a little bit, you'll be punched, or in the worst case, arrested.

They're just like yakuza.

Yoshie: ''Aw, yuk. I want to go home soon too. Hey, what do I do if I'm attacked on the way home!?''

Aoba: ''Eh?''

Yoshie-san sends me a meaningful look with sparkling eyes.